Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Rockets game notes vs. Victoria

Tonight’s
Preview: The
Kelowna Rockets play their 39th game of the season tonight hosting
the Victoria Royals. They may play in the same division, but this is the first
appearance by the Royals at Prospera Place this season. These two teams met
back on October 12/13th by splitting a pair of games in Victoria.
The Rockets were a 4-1 winner before falling 3-2. Following tonight’s game the
Royals make a return visit January 9th and 31st. The
Rockets are in Victoria for a pair of games February 22nd and 23rd.
The Rockets look for their 10th win in 11 games tonight. Overall,
the Rockets have five regulation losses in their last 28 games (22-5-0-1) with
setbacks to Tri City (twice), Edmonton, Seattle and Calgary. The Rockets have
won 19 of their last twenty-three (19-4-0-0) games overall. The Rockets enter
tonight’s game riding a 14 game home ice winning streak. The only two teams to
beat the Rockets on home ice this season are Kamloops and Spokane. The Rockets
play 14 games in January, with 8 of those on home ice. The Rockets travel to
Prince George for back-to-back games this weekend.

December’s
Top Performers: The Rockets were 9-2-0-0 in 11 games in December. Damon
Severson (2+14=16) and Zach Franko (3+13=16) led the team in points during the
month. Rockets leading scorer Myles Bell (6+8=14) and Ryan Olson (4+10=14) had
14 points each. Dylen McKinlay and Tyson Baillie led the team in goals during
the month with six apiece.

This and That: Colton
Sissons is celebrating his 150th career WHL game tonight against
Victoria….Damon Severson has 2+13=15 in his last 9 games. Severson had just 11
points through his first 28 regular season games…Since a 3-0 win over the
Kamloops Blazers November 1st the Rockets are 17-4-0-0. Since that
loss to the Rockets, the Blazers are 10-9-1-1….The Rockets are 26-10-1-1 after
38 games this season…Madison Bowey was named to the roster for the upcoming
CHL-NHL Top Prospects game. Last season two members of the organization
participated in the game. Damon Severson and Colton Sissons showcased their
skills and were both 2nd round draft picks this summer by New Jersey
and Nashville…The Rockets 14 game home ice winning streak is 4 wins shy of the
18 straight wins in 2002-2003 season…Myles Bell and Dylen McKinlay are the only
two Rockets to play in every game this season…The Rockets have led going into
the third period in 22 of their last 29 games with two games being tied heading
into the final frame.…The Rockets have allowed 14 power play goals against in
their last twenty-three games….The Rockets have 21 power play goal in their
last 29 games (21 for 94 over that span – 22 %)…..In the Rockets 26 wins, Myles
Bell as earned 43 points (18+25=43). Of the 130 goals scored by the team in
those 26 games, Bell has been in on 43 of them…The Rockets have scored 136
goals in their last 30 games (average 4.5)....Jordon
Cooke was named the CHL/Vaughn Goaltender of the Week for October 22-28th.
Cooke had two wins last week which included a shutout and a save percentage of
.967…Ryan Olsen played in his 150th career WHL game Nov 3rd
against visiting Prince George…Ryan Huska recorded his 200th WHL
regular season victory November 24th against the visiting Saskatoon
Blades…The Rockets are 15 and 2 after 17 home games this season…Madison Bowey
(10), Mitch Wheaton (22) are rated among the top skaters in the WHL by NHL
Central Scouting for June’s draft. Jackson Whistle is ranked 7th
among WHL goalies…The Rockets have out-scored the opposition 84-32 on home ice
this season…The Rockets have scored the second most goals in the WHL
(160)….Zach Franko has four more points (43) than the 39 he put up all of last
season. Franko had a career high 53 points (22+31=53) in his rookie season in
2010-2011...MacKenzie Johnston played in his 200th WHL game Sunday
against the Tips…J.T Barnett has 7+2=9 in 17 games with the Rockets…Colton
Sissons returned to the lineup Sunday after missing 10 games with an upper body
injury….Dylen McKinlay has three shorthanded goals, tied for the WHL lead in
that category….Since relocating from Tacoma to Kelowna for the start of the
1995-96 season, the Rockets have picked up 653 wins over the last 18
seasons…Since entering the WHL in 1991, the Tacoma/Kelowna Rockets have scored
4 thousand 493 goals (4,493)…Zach Franko has 43 points this season.
Twenty-three (23) have been registered on the road with 20 coming on home
ice…Carter Rigby plays in his 100th career game tonight vs.
Victoria…Madison Bowey will play in his 100th career WHL game
Saturday in Prince George.

Focusing on Myles
Bell:
Myles Bell has scored the first goal of the game a team high five times this
season….Bell (23) is four goals shy of the league lead in goals…Bell has 30
assists, one better than Zach Franko’s 29….Bell has just two of his 23 goals on
the power play this season. Of Bell’s 53 points, only 15 have been collected on
the power play. That means 72% of Bell’s points are scored five on five…Five of
Bell’s six-two goal games have been registered at Prospera Place…Of Bell’s 23
goals, 12 have been scored on home ice…Bell has 53 points. 27 of those 53 have
been registered on the road.

Who’s Hot: Myles Bell
has 5+3=8 in his last six games…Colton Sissons is riding a eight game point
streak (2+7=9). Ryan Olsen has 2+8=10 in his last seven games… Zach Franko has
3+13=16 in his last ten games…..Damon Severson has points in eight of his last
nine games (2+13=15.)

Regan Bartel

About Me

Bartel is a radio broadcaster for the Kelowna Rockets of the Western Hockey League. Bartel is enjoying his 25th year in the radio broadcast industry, spending 13 years at CKSW in Swift Current before moving to AM 1150 in Kelowna in the summer of 2000. Having called the play-by-play for the Swift Current Broncos and Kelowna Rockets, Bartel has called games at four Memorial Cups (2003,04,05,09), the CHL Top Prospects Game (2012) and the Canada-Russia Subway Super Series (2009). To listen to audio, just type audio in the window at the top left of the screen.